Wikipedia

Rajie

Junko Sōma (相馬 淳子, Sōma Junko),[2] known professionally as Rajie (stylized in all-caps or spelled as ラジ, Raji), is a Japanese singer. After performing as a member of Row and Pony Tail [ja], she released five albums with CBS/Sony and two with Toshiba EMI. In the 2010s, her music regained attention amidst the city pop wave.

Rajie
ラジ
GenresCity pop[1]
OccupationSinger
InstrumentVocals
Labels
Formerly of

Biography

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Junko Sōma originally performed as part of the folk group Row and choral group Pony Tail [ja].[3] She also performed as a backup singer for Eiichi Ohtaki and the Sadistic Mika Band.[2]

Rajie's first album, Heart to Heart, was released on 21 September 1977[4] and produced by Yukihiro Takahashi and Tsugutoshi Gotō.[5] She later released four more albums with CBS/Sony: Love Heart (1978), Quatre (1979), Le Trottoir D'Apres Midi (1980), and Acoustic Moon (1981).[6] One of Rajie's songs, "Itsuwari no Hitomi", was rearranged into one of Pink Lady's last singles before their 1981 disbandment, "Last Pretender".[7] According to Makaino, Rajie's song "Love Heart" is an example of Yellow Magic Orchestra's technopop music, drawing comparisons to Haruo Chikada [ja], Yuko Kanai [ja], Sheena & The Rokkets, and Akiko Yano.[8]

Following her five albums at CBS/Sony, Rajie moved to another label, Toshiba EMI,[2] and released two albums with them: Relief (1984) and Espresso (1985),[9][10] as well as a best hits album, New Best Now (1987).[11] One of her songs, "Ruri-iro no Koibito-tachi", was an insert song for the 1984 NTV drama Ruri-iro Generation  [ja].[12]

Rajie's music returned to attention as part of the city pop wave of the 2010s. Her song "Black Moon" was covered in Hitomitoi's 2012 album Your Time: Route #1.[13] In February 2018, Sony Music released a best hits compilation of her music, named Golden Best: Rajie All Time Selection.[14] One of her songs appeared on Yukihiro Takahashi's 2021 compilation album Grand Espoir.[15] Ed Cunningham of Tokyo Weekender remarked that Rajie was one of several singers who helped transform the instrumental background of kayōkyoku into city pop.[16] Her debut album appeared in Hitoshi Kurimoto's 2022 book "City Pop no Kihon" ga Kono 100-mai de Wakaru!,[1] Her song "Hold Me Tight" appeared in the compilations City Pop Story: Urban & Ocean (2023) and City Pop Stories: '70s & '80s (2024).[17][18]

Discography

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Original albums

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Title Details
Heart to Heart
(stylized as HEART to HEART)[6]
  • Released: 21 September 1977[4]
  • Label: CBS/Sony
Love Heart[6]
  • Released: 1978
  • Label: CBS/Sony
Quatre (キャトル)[6]
  • Released: 1979
  • Label: CBS/Sony
Le Trottoir D'Apres Midi (真昼の舗道)[6]
  • Released: 1980
  • Label: CBS/Sony
Acoustic Moon
(stylized in all-caps)[6]
  • Released: 21 November 1981[19]
  • Label: CBS/Sony
Relief (午後のレリーフ)[9]
  • Released: 1984
  • Label: Toshiba EMI
Espresso (エスプレッソ)[10]
  • Released: 1985
  • Label: Toshiba EMI

Compilation albums

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Title Details
New Best Now (ニュー・ベストナウ)[11]
  • Released: 1987
  • Label: Toshiba EMI
Golden Best: Rajie All Time Selection (ゴールデン☆ベスト ラジ ALL TIME SELECTION)[14]
  • Released: 21 February 2018
  • Label: Sony Music Direct

References

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  1. 1 2 "「シティポップ」入門決定版 必聴の名アルバム100枚を徹底レビュー". Kai-You (in Japanese). 22 February 2022. Archived from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "RAJIE / 午後のレリーフ【限定アナログ盤】【アナログ】". Universal Music Store (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  3. ↑ "⑫RAJIE『ACOUSTIC MOON』". Otonano (in Japanese). No. 2025年2月号. 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 "DISC１-Urban Side-⓰ 「HOLD ME TIGHT」 ラジ from album 『Heart To Heart』（1977）". Otonano (in Japanese). No. 2023年3月号. 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  5. ↑ "ラジ / HEART TO HEART [再発]". CDJournal.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "PARTNERS Rajie(ラジ)吉田 保リマスタリングシリーズ". Otonano. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  7. ↑ "高橋幸宏さんをピンク・レディーの未唯ｍｉｅが追悼 提供曲に「光栄でした」すれ違いも意外な親和性". Yorozoo News (in Japanese). 16 January 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  8. ↑ Makaino, Motohiro (17 May 2025). "多種多様な音楽的冒険！イエロー・マジック・オーケストラが遺してくれたものは何だったのか？". reminder.top (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  9. 1 2 "RAJIE / 午後のレリーフ [限定]". CDJournal (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  10. 1 2 "RAJIE / エスプレッソ [限定]". CDJournal (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  11. 1 2 "ラジ / ニュー・ベストナウ [廃盤]". CDJournal (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  12. ↑ "瑠璃色ゼネレーション". TV Drama Database (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  13. ↑ Manabe, Shinichi (15 June 2025). "一十三十一がカバーしたシティポップのアルバムに "女王誕生" の瞬間を見た！". reminder.top (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  14. 1 2 "ベスト盤シリーズ『GOLDEN☆BEST』からラジ、笠井紀美子の音源集が登場". CDJournal News (in Japanese). 22 February 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  15. ↑ Mima, Akiko (30 October 2021). "砂原良徳×白根賢一が語る、高橋幸宏の凄み すべてがデザインされたスタイリッシュなドラミング". Real Sound (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  16. ↑ Cunningham, Ed (17 July 2020). "A Complete Guide to City Pop". Tokyo Weekender. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  17. ↑ "定番から海外人気曲まで幅広い選曲を楽しめるシティポップコンピ". Music Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  18. ↑ "1970～80年代シティポップのコンピレーションアルバム発売 栗本斉が選曲&鈴木英人がジャケ写担当". Real Sound (in Japanese). 1 November 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  19. ↑ "⑫RAJIE『ACOUSTIC MOON』". Otonano (in Japanese). No. 2025年2月号. 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
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